Paul Finebaum: Brian Kelly’s Previous Comments on Notre Dame Will ‘Haunt Him’

Brian Kelly’s departure from Notre Dame to LSU in 2021 was one of the most talked-about coaching changes in college football. Not only did Kelly leave one of the sport’s most storied programs, but he did so after previously making a number of statements that might come back to haunt him. As Paul Finebaum, the renowned sports commentator, suggested, Kelly’s prior comments about Notre Dame and its place in college football could have lasting repercussions on how his tenure at LSU is perceived, both in the media and by the public.

The High Expectations at Notre Dame

Before delving into Finebaum’s specific comments, it’s important to understand the context of Brian Kelly’s time at Notre Dame. Kelly arrived in South Bend in 2010 after a successful run at Cincinnati, and he quickly became the face of the Fighting Irish program. Over the course of his 12-year tenure, Kelly led Notre Dame to significant success, including a National Championship appearance in the 2012 BCS National Championship Game and multiple College Football Playoff berths.

Despite this success, Kelly often found himself at odds with the expectations placed on him at Notre Dame. The university, with its rich football history and traditions, expects nothing less than excellence, and Kelly’s tenure was marked by high-profile wins and frustrating losses. The program’s inability to win a national championship during his time there was often cited as a blemish on his legacy, despite the numerous achievements he racked up.

However, Kelly never shied away from expressing his thoughts about Notre Dame’s place in the college football hierarchy. He frequently discussed the challenges that came with recruiting at Notre Dame, a school that, due to its academic standards and Catholic identity, doesn’t have the same recruiting flexibility as some other programs. For years, Kelly and other coaches at Notre Dame had to recruit against schools that were able to offer more flexibility when it came to player eligibility and admissions. These challenges often made it difficult for Notre Dame to consistently land the top-tier talent that schools like Alabama, Clemson, and Ohio State could secure without much resistance.

The 2016 Comments That Resurfaced

However, it was Kelly’s comments from 2016 that continue to haunt him the most. During that year, Kelly was embroiled in a string of media interviews, in which he talked about the difficulties of recruiting at Notre Dame. At one point, Kelly mentioned that Notre Dame was “a different animal” compared to other programs, referencing the school’s academic standards and its relatively small footprint compared to more traditional football powerhouses.

In 2016, Kelly made it clear that Notre Dame’s role as an academic institution made it a challenging place for coaches to succeed. His comments about the university’s recruiting limitations, along with some of his frustrations about the overall “Notre Dame way” of doing things, didn’t sit well with some fans and alumni. Kelly had been at the helm for several years and had yet to bring the national title home. For some, these comments signaled an underlying dissatisfaction with the Notre Dame way — that is, the idea that the school’s academic priorities and traditions sometimes conflicted with its football ambitions.

Additionally, Kelly was criticized for implying that the program might be too focused on academic values rather than prioritizing football as much as other schools. Some fans interpreted these comments as a slight against the very identity of the institution, which prided itself on balancing academics with athletics. In essence, Kelly’s remarks painted Notre Dame as a program that was inherently at a disadvantage compared to its rivals, and these comments didn’t resonate well with a fanbase that had long been dedicated to the values of the school.

The LSU Move: A Sharp Contrast

Fast forward to 2021, when Brian Kelly shocked the world by leaving Notre Dame to take the head coaching position at LSU. The timing of his move — just days before Notre Dame’s appearance in the College Football Playoff — raised eyebrows across the college football landscape. Kelly’s departure left many wondering if his comments about Notre Dame’s limitations played a role in his decision to seek a new job.

One of the major contrasts between LSU and Notre Dame is the difference in recruiting environment. LSU, located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has long been a fertile recruiting ground for top-tier talent, particularly in the state of Louisiana. The program is a perennial contender in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), which has consistently produced some of the best talent in the nation. LSU’s reputation for developing elite athletes and competing for national titles is well-established.

In contrast to Notre Dame, where Kelly often voiced frustration over the recruiting constraints imposed by the university’s academic standards, LSU provided Kelly with a significantly different situation. The SEC, with its emphasis on football-first culture, allows coaches to focus more heavily on recruiting the top talent in the country without as many of the constraints Kelly faced at Notre Dame.

The move to LSU allowed Kelly to work in an environment where football was king, and recruiting was less restrictive. This, combined with LSU’s robust football infrastructure, made the Tigers an appealing destination for Kelly, who had spent over a decade trying to get Notre Dame over the hump without the same recruiting advantages. In many ways, Kelly’s move to LSU was about more than just money or career advancement — it was about finding a place where he could compete at the highest level, with fewer barriers standing in his way.

However, as Paul Finebaum pointed out, Kelly’s departure and the contrasting remarks he had made over the years could be a source of lingering resentment. For fans of Notre Dame, Kelly’s comments about the program’s limitations and his subsequent move to LSU may feel like a betrayal. His words, which once seemed like expressions of frustration and honesty, now carry the weight of a man who left the program at a pivotal time.

Finebaum’s Perspective: The Fallout for Kelly

Paul Finebaum, a longtime commentator on college football, expressed a pointed view on Kelly’s departure and his prior comments. Finebaum argued that Kelly’s past statements would come back to haunt him, suggesting that his critical remarks about Notre Dame would linger in the minds of both fans and alumni.

Finebaum’s analysis is rooted in the notion that Kelly’s criticisms of Notre Dame were not simply fleeting moments of frustration but statements that fundamentally questioned the program’s ability to compete at the highest level. These comments, Finebaum believes, set the stage for Kelly’s departure and positioned his move to LSU as something more than just a career choice — it became a statement about his belief that Notre Dame, despite its prestige and history, was not a program that could consistently compete for national championships without significant changes.

Moreover, Finebaum raised concerns that Kelly’s ability to succeed at LSU would not erase the damage done by his words about Notre Dame. Even if Kelly goes on to win national championships at LSU, there will always be a lingering question of whether his comments about Notre Dame were genuine or simply an excuse for his own inability to achieve greatness with the Fighting Irish. Finebaum suggested that Kelly’s legacy, as a result, could be shaped by the tension between his successes at LSU and the public perception that he never truly believed in the Notre Dame program’s potential to compete at the highest level.

The Challenge of Legacy

In the world of college football, coaches are often defined by the legacies they leave behind, and Kelly’s is particularly complicated. On the one hand, his accomplishments at Notre Dame — consistently leading the team to high rankings, playoff appearances, and New Year’s Six bowl games — are significant. On the other hand, his inability to secure a national championship with the Fighting Irish could always serve as a source of frustration and criticism.

Kelly’s decision to leave Notre Dame and his comments leading up to it may have further complicated his legacy. While some may view his move to LSU as a pragmatic decision to achieve greater success, others might interpret it as an admission of defeat — that Kelly simply couldn’t accomplish what he set out to do at Notre Dame, and that the program’s perceived limitations were, in part, to blame.

Ultimately, as Paul Finebaum suggested, Kelly’s comments about Notre Dame will continue to echo in the halls of college football, whether he likes it or not. They have shaped the narrative around his departure, and they will likely shape how his future is discussed in the years to come.

Conclusion

Brian Kelly’s departure from Notre Dame to LSU will be remembered for more than just the timing of the move or the press conferences that followed. It will also be defined by his past comments about the challenges of coaching at Notre Dame, a program he once led with great ambition and dedication. While Kelly now has the opportunity to rewrite his story at LSU, the remarks he made in the past will continue to haunt him, shaping both the public’s perception of his character and his legacy in the sport. As Finebaum pointed out, Kelly’s previous statements about Notre Dame will forever be a part of his narrative — a cautionary tale about the weight of words in the competitive world of college football.